Fibromyalgia Remedies

The following is for anyone with Fibromyalgia who want to know what foods can aid with pain and inflammation. While Rheumatologists do not believe that FM is related to inflammation, a new study proves that FM patients have altered immune status. The foods below are healthy for anyone, although not all are available in the US.

1) Fish oils. There are numerous theories as to what actually causes fibromyalgia, but it is generally recognized that the poorly understood condition often results in what appears to be systemic inflammation for many of the people that suffer from it. Because of this, it is important that fibromyalgia sufferers stick primarily to an anti-inflammatory diet that includes plenty of fish oils.

Since one of the marked characteristics of fibromyalgia is intense muscle and joint pain, supplementing with high-grade salmon oil, skate liver oil, or a fermented cod liver and butter oil blend, for instance, can provide amazing relief for fibromyalgia sufferers, as these oils help lubricate the muscular system and fortify the body with necessary omega-3 fatty acids, which feed the brain and quell inflammation.

Fibromyalgia is also marked by neurological damage in the brain, particularly as it involves the normal production of brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin. By regularly supplementing with therapeutic doses of high-grade fish oils, fibromyalgia sufferers may be able to help restore proper neural function and balance out their central nervous systems’ response to pain and other sensations. (http://www.doctoroz.com)

2) Turmeric. Another powerful anti-inflammatory food with amazing pain-relieving properties is turmeric, an ancient spice commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisine. As it turns out, turmeric works better than many pain killer drugs at relieving joint pain, stiffness, arthritis, muscle spasms, and many other debilitating pain symptoms commonly associated with fibromyalgia.

A natural painkiller and COX-2 inhibitor, turmeric has been shown in a number of studies to be a safe and effective remedy for treating both arthritis and fibromyalgia symptoms. This is due to its ability not only to halt inflammation, but also to suppress nerve-related pain. From both a neurological and inflammatory standpoint, in other words, turmeric is a powerful weapon in the fight against fibromyalgia. (http://www.peoplespharmacy.com)

3) Fermented foods and beverages. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and various other forms of gastrointestinal upset often go hand in hand with fibromyalgia, which is why it is vitally important for individuals with the disease to actively work towards restoring floral balance in the gut. One of the best ways to do this is to consume plenty of fermented foods like raw sauerkraut and kombucha tea, both of which have helped many fibromyalgia sufferers to avoid the headaches, brain fog, and systemic pain they would otherwise face.

Kefir, which can be made from either dairy or water, is another fermented food that can greatly relieve fibromyalgia symptoms, particularly when taken in conjunction with other probiotic-forming, fermented foods like kombucha tea and kimchi. (http://julieloewy.com)

4) Juiced marijuana leaf. From a neurological perspective, fibromyalgia can also come about as a result of neurotransmitters throughout the central nervous system failing to properly communicate, which in turn can lead to the over-sensation of pain throughout the body that is characteristic of fibromyalgia. This is where juiced marijuana leaf comes in. Rich in neural-repairing cannabinoids, juiced marijuana leaf can help complete the positive feedback loop in the brain that, when obstructed or damaged, causes chronic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and various other problems often associated with fibromyalgia.

In its raw form, marijuana and marijuana juice is not psychoactive, which means it can be used safely and effectively without getting a person “high.” Marijuana is also far more medically potent in its raw form then when it is heated or smoked, possessing up to 60 times more therapeutic content per volume. (http://www.naturalnews.com/035759_cannabis_juicing_health.html)

5) Avoid wheat gluten. Eliminating wheat and other gluten-containing foods from the diet has helped many people with fibromyalgia all but eliminate their condition and its corresponding symptoms. Most modern wheat varieties contain high levels of complex gluten compounds that greatly upset the digestive tract, which is where many inflammatory and neurological conditions like fibromyalgia are thought to begin.

Eliminating gluten from your diet, along with refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, and other unnatural compounds, can go a long way in alleviating fibromyalgia. Other common food allergens like soy and corn are also worth eliminating from the diet as well as these ingredients, particularly when derived from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), can trigger an inflammatory response in individuals with fibromyalgia. (http://www.foodsforfibromyalgia.com)

6) Red wine. Red wine raises GABA levels, which plays role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. In humans, GABA is also directly responsible for the regulation of muscle tone. FM patients have altered level of GABA, thought to partly cause the intense muscle pain. Raising GABA levels via a glass of red wine at night has shown to decrease pain in the evening.

7) FLEXERIL. The best stuff on earth. I cant sleep without it, or I go into muscle spasms at night and twitch. Horrible pain, no sleep.

And new research continues to open up windows into this complex condition. New studies on immune system dysfunction, lactic acid/hypoxia and neurovascular abnormalities have been published this year. One of the most interesting is a study finding that women with fibromyalgia have a unique neurovascular structure in their skin that could be linked to the chronic pain that is symptomatic of the disease, according to researchers at Integrated Tissue Dynamics and Albany Medical College. Intidyn’s president, Dr. Frank Rice, said the pain pathology involves increased numbers of sensory nerve fibers around blood vessels in the hands. Hopefully scientists will continue to fight for us, and not shrug their shoulders as so many practitioners do. We are the step-children of the medical community. I just hope to live to the day when the underlying disorder is able to be treated effectively.

16 comments on “Fibromyalgia Remedies”

This condition requires word of mouth as I am very aggravated by the medical community’s dismissal of our problems. So whenever I find something helpful I am so happy to pass it on. A comment from Laura discusses non-Chinese medical acupuncture. She is a pediatrician with health problems, and has a nice balanced view from both side. Great blogging friend with a wealth of information!

Thank you so much. I have been avoiding adding the sticker “fibromyalgia” to the rest of my seemingly endless list of labels, but during the past year the fact that 4-5/7 nights a weeks are interrupted by cycles of excruciating pain has got me convinced that I need to make room for yet another “diagnosis.” When I was a young pediatrician I went to a conference in New Orleans, where one of the “medical tour” options was the Rheumatology department at LSU Children’s. After seeing a number of kids with various awful things the attending ushered us into an exam room containing a normal-appearing 12-year-old girl. The “tender point” chart was on the wall. The dear girl allowed all of us to mash on her tender points (gently). I didn’t mash on hers, I mashed on mine, and ALL of them were tender. Hmmm, I thought.

Then when I became an acupuncturist I discovered that ALL of the classic tender points are MAJOR acupuncture points. So I started treating Fibro sufferers, and they all got better and went back to work, gardening, whatever. So now I find myself in the same boat. I’m going back to my Medical Acupuncture for Physicians course for a tune-up in my own skills, and by the way I hope to find One Of Us who lives near me, because Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncturists don’t learn the techniques that “we” do. But even so I would recommend acupuncture to any Fibro sufferer, because it can open up energy blockages and give some relief and better sleep etc.

BTW I just learned that Cucurmin, which is the active principle in Turmeric, is the best way to take turmeric because it is much higher potency and works better.

Now if I can just figure out where to put a marijuana field so I can have fresh juice every day….

Grr…I just sent you a nice long reply and it disappeared before my very eyes. I hate that. Ok, so I cant remember what I said! HAHAHA…..curcumin….yes, great way to go. Got it in my arsenal. But I take it for breast cancer prevention….and not regularly. GREAT studies from India on it.
I get tired of filling my med box, and now and then just rebel from it all. But I filled it this week, and am starting over. Marijuana….the most amazing plant invented by God. I have never had it in any form, but I have read about its’ almost god-like properties. A researcher in Britian is using it to reverse the effects of cancer radiation. His recent article suggests that everyone now needs to start using it due to the radiation exposures we are getting from Japan. And he has a very detailed way to create a THC free essential hemp oil with how much to take to counteract the radiation. Of course, one could also go the iodine route–a drop on each knee and rub it in. Japan gets 20 times our iodine intake, and this has been linked to weight/metabolic differences between our diets.
As to your symptoms, I am so sorry that you have to add this. I hate how the medical community treats this condition, but there is hope I think. I recently saw 3 studies that clearly showed immune dysfunction, oxygen/lactic acid dysfunction (which helped explain to me why my muscles SCREAM at me when I exercise) and nerve/blood vessel abnormalities (hands). Except…when I bring them to my rheumatologist he wont read them, gets mad and says that FM is a well proven neurotransmitter dysfunction. FM is a MYSTERY, in fact few diseases have ever been COMPLETELY teased out, so scientific inquiry should never be shut down. Sometimes I think “scientists” are the most closed minded people there are. One should always keep the door open to new possibilities.

I’m trying to figure out how I can grow an acre or so of marijuana for personal medicinal use without spending the rest of my painful life in jail. I’ve seen a couple of studies using the raw juice of one whole plant per day that treats everything from certain cancers to hypertension and a whole lot in between. Has the highest antioxidant properties of any known substance. And the raw juice does not cause a ” high,” although it does smell beautiful. I’m also trying to figure out how to make an essential oil that could be used in massage etc. therapeutically.

I found a guy who has the recipe for hemp oil without THC. All the properties without the high. THC free hemp oil is available on line—EXPENSIVE, but I am probably going to try it for my son’s sleep issues, as nothing seems to work for him.

Make sure you find out how it is made. The two easiest and cheapest ways to make it are by butane or benzene extraction, both of which may leave residual hydrocarbons, highly carcinogenic. If they won’t tell you how they made it don’t buy it.

Curcumin (the main ingredient of turmeric) in its purist form is the best way to go, but it is more expensive. I find it somewhat helpful when I am compliant and take it regularly. I actually am using it more for its’ preventative breast cancer properties for Triple Negative cancer, which India has shown through numberous excellent studies. It is such a shame that US Pharmaceuticals have research dollars so wrapped up here in profitable patent forming medications. We all could be much healthier if they researched the amazing properties of essential oils. I didn’t used to think this way until I started really looking into it after reading about Dr Valnet.
Tell him salmon oil is an excellent anti-inflammatory substance, and good for cardiovascular health. Win-win.